What credentials do you need to make yourself a strong candidate?

References, endorsements, degrees, certifications...there are plenty of
ways to verify your expertise and experience when applying to a new job,
and some checkpoints hold more weight than others. When it comes to
edging out the competition and making your case for a higher starting
salary, one of the best ways to influence hiring managers and establish
your worth is highlighting the certifications you possess.

Trevor Lamson a senior recruiter for Connected Recruiting Ltd.,
says, "You can never go wrong with certifications; much like a degree
it is with you forever and can be applied, either in theory or practice
for years to come. [At the] end of the day, a designation adds an extra
element of credibility to your profile, and in an ever increasingly
competitive world it can sometimes be the difference between getting the
job or not."

So what certifications should you pursue or highlight when taking the
next step in your career? The answer becomes similar to anything in your
job search: You need to know where you are going in order to figure out
how to get there," Lamson says. "...Basically you need to have a job in
mind and find a certification that either gets you there faster or more
engrained in it once you are in the door."

With that in mind, here are 13 growing occupations and the
certifications you'll need to be a strong candidate in the interview
process and a successful negotiator during salary conversations.

2. Court reporterProjected growth rate through 2022: 10 percent (as fast as average)Certifications: The National Court Reporters
Association offers certification for court reporters, broadcast
captioners, and Communication Access Real-Time Translation providers.
Certification as a Registered Professional Reporter (RPR) requires
successful completion of a written test and a three-part skills test in
which applicants must type a minimum number of words per minute.2012 median pay: $48,160 per year

3. Dental assistantProjected growth rate through 2022: 25 percent (much faster than average)Certifications: Dental assistants must pass the
Certified Dental Assistant exam from the Dental Assisting National
Board. To take the exam, dental assistants must either have graduated
from an accredited program or have a high school diploma, and complete
the required amount of on-the-job training. Applicants must also have
current certification in CPR.2012 median pay: $34,500 per year

4. Emergency medical technician and paramedicProjected growth rate through 2022: 23 percent (much faster than average)Certifications: The National Registry of Emergency
Medical Technicians certifies EMTs and paramedics. All levels of NREMT
certification require completing a certified education program and
passing the national exam. The national exam has both written and
practical parts.2012 median pay: $31,020 per year

5. Heating, air conditioning and refrigeration mechanic and installerProjected growth rate through 2022: 21 percent (faster than average)Certifications: Technicians with relevant coursework
and less than two years of experience may take the entry-level
certification exams. HVACR technicians who have at least one year of
installation experience and two years of maintenance and repair
experience can take a number of specialized exams. For example, the
North American Technician Excellence offers the Industry Competency
Exam; HVAC Excellence offers a Secondary Employment Ready Exam, a
Secondary Heat exam, and a Heat Plus exam; the National Occupational
Competency Testing Institute offers a secondary exam; and the
Refrigeration Service Engineers Society offers two levels of
certification.2012 median pay: $43,640 per year

6. Heavy and tractor-trailer driverProjected growth rate through 2022: 11 percent (as fast as average)Certifications: All long-haul truck drivers must have a
commercial driver's license. Qualifications for obtaining a CDL vary by
state but generally include passing both a knowledge test and a driving
test. Drivers can get endorsements to their CDL that show their ability
to drive a specialized type of vehicle. Truck drivers transporting
hazardous materials must have a hazardous materials endorsement.2012 median pay: $38,200 per year

7. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurseProjected growth rate through 2022: 25 percent (much faster than average)Certifications: After completing a state-approved
educational program, prospective LPNs and LVNs can take the National
Council Licensure Examination. In all states, they must pass the exam to
get a license and work as an LPN or LVN.2012 median pay: $41,540 per year

8. Manicurist and pedicuristProjected growth rate through 2022: 16 percent (faster than average)Certifications: After completing a state-approved
cosmetology or nail technician program, manicurists and pedicurists must
take a written and practical exam to get a license through their state
board.2012 median pay: $19,220 per year

9. Massage therapistProjected growth rate through 2022: 23 percent (much faster than average)Certifications: In states with massage therapy
regulations, workers must get a license or certification after
graduating from an approved program and before practicing massage. The
exam may be solely a state exam or one of two nationally recognized
tests: the Massage and Bodywork Licensing Examination and the National
Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork.2012 median pay: $35,970 per year

11. PhlebotomistProjected growth rate through 2022: 27 percent (much faster than average)Certifications: Several organizations offer
certifications for phlebotomists. The National Center for Competency
Testing, the American Society for Clinical Pathology and the American
Medical Technologists offer Phlebotomy Technician certifications.
Certification candidates typically need some classroom education and
clinical experience.2012 median pay: $29,730 per year

12. Skincare specialistProjected growth rate through 2022: 40 percent (much faster than average)Certifications: After completing an approved
cosmetology or esthetician program, skincare specialists take a written
and practical exam to get a state license. Licensing requirements vary
by state.2012 median pay: $28,640 per year

13. Surgical technologistProjected growth rate through 2022: 30 percent (much faster than average)Certifications: Certification through the National
Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting allows the use of
the title "Certified Surgical Technologist. Certification typically
requires completing an accredited formal education or military training
program and passing an exam. Certification through the National Center
for Competency Testing allows the use of the title "Tech in
Surgery-Certified." An applicant must pass an exam and have taken one of
several routes to be eligible. Both certifications require surgical
technologists to complete continuing education to maintain their
certification.2012 median pay: $41,790

Advice from Aha! CEO Brian de Haaff

"There is one word at work that arrives like a gift. It makes me feel
happy and brings a jolt of joy to everyone who sees it in an email, IM,
or text," writes writes Brian de Haaff, CEO of Aha!, in a recent LinkedIn post.

The word: "Done."

He says writing this word denotes team progress and "speaks to our sense
of accomplishment - both as individuals and a team." And it makes you
feel successful.

Here are two reasons saying and writing the word "done" can make you achieve greater success at work:

1) It builds confidence.

"The more often you complete a task, the more your confidence to achieve what's next grows," de Haaff explains.

He says writing "Done!" to your colleague or boss who has asked for a status update on a task "means everything."

"It's similar to crossing items off a to-do list, but in a collaborative
way. That sense of confidence allows you to take on new challenges and
continue to grow."

This leads to better results, and therefore greater success.

2) It highlights your value.

Finishing a task is energizing, and when you write the word "done," it highlights your contribution, de Haaff says.

"It also enhances your reputation for being trustworthy, reliable, and
dependable. Ultimately, our accomplishments are what satisfy our
internal ambitions and are rewarded at work too."

And, since how you're perceived (and how you perceive yourself) plays a big part in your professional success, this is key.

He says people who love and respect the word "done" are driven to
achieve greatness. "Their hard work drives them to achieve their own
goals and ensure their teams are terrific too," he concludes.

Employers rated candidates higher when they heard, rather than read, their pitches

The latest research has found your voice could be your biggest asset when you go for a job interview.

Looking smart in power business wear and having a stellar CV all help,
but the sound of your voice tells people how intelligent your are.

The study found that employers and recruiters rate candidates as more
competent, thoughtful, and intelligent when they hear the pitch rather
than when they read it - even when the words used are exactly the same.
They liked the candidate more and were more interested in hiring them.

However, the addition of video did not influence evaluations beyond hearing the candidate's voice.

"In addition to communicating the contents of one's mind, like specific
thoughts and beliefs, a person's speech conveys their fundamental
capacity to think - the capacity for reasoning, thoughtfulness and
intellect," says Professor Nicholas Epley of the University of Chicago
Booth School of Business.

The study, "The Sound of Intellect: Speech Reveals a Thoughtful Mind,
Increasing a Job Candidate's Appeal," is published in The Journal of
Psychological Science.

In a series of experiments, the researchers asked a group of Chicago
Booth MBA student job candidates to develop a short pitch to the company
for which they would most like to work. They created written pitches
and recorded spoken pitches.

The evaluators who heard the pitch subsequently rated the candidate as
more intelligent, thoughtful, and competent than the evaluators who only
read a transcript of the pitch.

Professional recruiters are also more likely to hire candidates whose
pitches they could hear than those whose they could only read.

Lack of work causes decline in conscientiousness and agreeableness

We all know that unemployment can bring a person down, but did you know
it can actually alter one's personality? According to a recent study
published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, gaps in employment may cause personality changes that could make it more difficult to return to the workforce.

The four-year study gave 6,769 German adults a test to measure five
major personality traits (conscientiousness, neuroticism, agreeableness,
extraversion, and openness) at two points between 2006 and 2009. Among
the participants, 210 said they were unemployed for one to four years
during the time of the study and another 251 were unemployed for under a
year before they found work.

Agreeableness for unemployed participants generally declined over time,
but there was a distinct gender difference. While women's agreeableness
tended to decline with each passing year of unemployment, men actually
had an increase in agreeableness in the first two years of unemployment.
However, after the honeymoon period of funemployment ends, men's
agreeableness also begins to decline beyond two years out of work.

With each passing year of unemployment, men's conscientiousness
declined. Women, on the other hand, had an increase in conscientiousness
at the beginning and end of unemployment periods, with a decline of
conscientiousness in the middle.

"The results challenge the idea that our personalities are 'fixed' and
show that the effects of external factors such as unemployment can have
large impacts on our basic personality," said the study's author Christopher J. Boyce, Ph.D.

Since employers usually consider conscientiousness and agreeability
desirable traits when hiring, the results of this study are interesting
to consider. Boyce believes the solution is policymakers making a
greater effort to lower unemployment rates and offer support to the
unemployed.

Registered nurses, elementary school teachers primarily female

Nursing - like teaching and waitressing - is among the occupations that
economists call "pink-collared jobs," or professions long dominated by
women.

While more and more men are donning the pink-collar and facing the
social stigma associated with "women's work," numbers tell us that we
have a long way to go when it comes to evening out representation in
certain fields.

One of these occupations is nursing. Nine out of 10 registered nurses are female.

Other occupations where women are highly concentrated include human resources manager, social worker, and counselor.

Economists warn against such staggering disproportions, and believe that
more integrated occupations would make the economy more efficient.

Behavioral economist, Teresa Ghilarducci, told the New York Times that
artificial barriers, such as the stigma around "women's work," make it
more difficult for companies to find the best matches when hiring.

IdeasFisherman created the following visual using data from the United States Department of Labor to show the disproportionate representation of women in certain jobs:

These positions may pay well, but you'll need to be well trained for many of them.

If you're looking to make serious money with plenty of opportunity to find work, Glassdoor has something for you: its annual 25 best jobs.
These are the cream of the crop, jobs that pay from just under $91,000
to a bit more than $212,000 a year and that are in high demand from
employers, with anywhere from 1,264 job listings to more than 90,000.

Glassdoor chose job titles that had at least 75 salary reports from U.S.
employees over the last year and that were in the top half of job
openings per title over the last three months. Top of the food chain, by
far, were physicians, with an annual base salary of $212,270 (with
bonuses and other compensation, the salary numbers may not show full
compensation) and 7984 job openings.

The jobs roughly fall into three categories. The biggest is high tech,
which represented a baker's dozen of the jobs. Four jobs were in the
healthcare industry, which shouldn't be a surprise, given the size of
the industry and recent political emphasis on healthcare delivery. Seven
of the remaining ones were in areas of business management, leaving
lawyers in a category of their own.

Many of these positions require significant amounts of training and
experience, although that can sometimes come in various forms. Software
engineers had the largest number of opportunities, with 99,055
positions. Many people go into the field with a traditional degree in
computer science, electrical engineering, or other discipline. But some
with two-year degrees will find a home, as will many who go through a
programming boot camp to quickly and intensely learn the necessary
skills.

Also, keep in mind that between the salaries being average numbers and
self-reported by people, they may or may not represent an accurate view
of how much someone can reasonably expect to make doing one of these
jobs.

When it comes to animated signatures, religious quotes, multiple kinds of fonts or career histories--just don't.

Remember when there were rumors going around that you'd soon have to
buy "e-stamps" to send your emails? This technology myth originated in
the early 2000's, and it's laughable now to consider the number of
"e-stamps" you'd have to buy simply to get through a day's work.
Email is the go-to tool in today's workplace,
due to the number of people we communicate with in other departments,
offices, businesses and time zones. In a world that's always working,
your best bet to get in touch with people is through email. Which is why
it's so important to have an email signature that's easily readable and
conveys the necessary information.
In 2015, here is what experts say is in—and out—for email signatures.Basic contact information: INYour
email signature has to start somewhere, and that's usually with your
basic contact information. Roy Cohen, career coach and author of "The Wall Street Professional's Survival Guide,"
says, "Always put yourself in the seat of the person reading your
email. If you have reached out with a request, what information will
make it as easy as possible to respond to you? And what other items will
make it more likely for the reader to feel compelled to follow up
especially if you two are not acquainted?"
Essentially, this
means your professional information, such as title, function and/or
company affiliation, Cohen says. "When there is some mystery or
uncertainty about who you really are, it is less likely that you will
get a response. Online scams are far too common and that has produced a
skepticism that is easy to appreciate."Images and distracting fonts: OUT
Older websites used to feature auto-play music, slow-to-load images and
fonts that were hard to read. Unfortunately, many email signatures
still look like those outdated websites and need to be upgraded to a
more modern style. "Compatibility is essential for signatures, because
email is sent and received across a wide variety of mail clients and
devices," says Kyle Turco, creative manager for TechnologyAdvice,
a company that researches and analyzes business technology to help
companies find IT solutions. "Having elements in your signature that
only work on a specific mail client will cause problems. Standard system
fonts are best. The 'boring' fonts like Arial, Times New Roman or
Verdana are your friend when it comes to email. They work on every
system, which gives complete control over their appearance."
You
may also be tempted to add a headshot of yourself or include images from
your websites. However, Turco says, "Never embed images into an email
signature. They are bad news for several reasons. First, some email
clients don't load images. If all of your important information is
embedded in an image file, your recipient may never see it. Second, they
typically show up as attachments. It's confusing and frustrating for
every email from you to come in marked with an attachment if none of
them have actual attachments."Legal disclaimers: OUT"There
is much debate about the validity of legal disclaimers," says Ricardo
Trigueiro, vice president of marketing and branding for Chuva Group,
a firm specializing in image and brand development. "As far as a legal
disclaimer, your company will add that if necessary. If you work for
yourself, chances are you do not need a legal disclaimer." Be sure to
ask a legal expert if you're unsure, but oftentimes general email
communication won't disclose information that would warrant a legal
disclaimer. Email address: INEmail addresses in your
signature may feel redundant. After all, the email you're sending offers
your email address, right? But by including your email address in your
signature, you're making things easier for your contacts. Cohen says,
"If you made the effort to reach out, then save the reader the effort of
having to determine your email address. Also consider the possibility
that the individual receiving it may want to create a contact file for
you. You eliminate their need to scramble to gather that information by
making it readily available." Your email may also be forwarded to other
contacts, and including your email address ensures you're still easily
reachable. Career history: OUTIf you've written a new
book or have been featured in the media recently for your work,
including these highlights can be a great way to call attention to your
expertise. However, this professional touch loses its appeal when email
senders include their entire career history and every record of praise
they've ever received. When your email signature is longer than your
message, your self-importance seems exaggerated. "Email signatures
should be short and simple," Turco says. "They need to contain enough
information for your recipient to easily learn more about you—job title,
company, phone number, and one or two social links—but shouldn't be
your resume in email form."
Your email signature is the final
impression you make on somebody when sending them a message. Be sure
that message is saying what you mean it to, and end it on a high note
with an email signature that's clean, professional and helpful.

Generally when you're on a job hunt, experts will advise you to stop
wasting time playing video games. Your time, they'd argue, would be
better spent honing your resume, crafting your cover letter, and
stepping up your overall networking skills. They're not wrong, but
they're also not right. New research
shows video games can provide surprising advantages. It's possible
they can also serve you well in a job hunt, but only if you're willing
to learn some of the logic behind successful games.

I was first introduced to the value of video games in a mesmerizing TED talk by Jane McGonigal on
how video games can give you a longer life. I followed her personal
story of resilience and theories on health care empowerment on her site SuperBetter,
built entirely on principles she learned as a game developer. She
describes SuperBetter as, among many other things, a system to:

Build up your core strengths - physical, mental, emotional and social

Help you through a tough time, or with a difficult change

Who doesn't need those attributes when on a job hunt? I certainly did, and in the process gained new
respect for video games and the skills they can help us attain in landing our next new opportunity. Here are a few of them:

It's about leveling up. In any great game, you gain
skills at each level, and slowly move up to higher levels with more
difficult challenges. In a job hunt, no one gets a resume right on the
first draft. It's a skill that needs honing, both in format, language,
and tone. All you can do each day is try again to get a little better at
the resume and job hunting game, and slowly, but surely, you will.
Calls will start coming in--if not at first, then when you've hit a
certain level of aptitude. Look at each challenge in the job hunting
game as a new level to be mastered, and don't beat yourself up when you
haven't won a particular level on a particular day. There's always
tomorrow.

It's about epic wins. Gaming, according to McGonigal, is based on solid scientific principles, including the concept of "epic wins"--the achievement of great things you never thought possible. In the work world, Jim Collins, author of the business best-seller Good to Great,
is the undisputed expert on greatness. He defines epic wins as BHAGS --
pronounced "Be-hags." The acronym stands for Big, Hairy, Audacious
Goals, and the value of them is perhaps best described in the book's
subtitle: "Why Some Companies Make the Leap...And Others Don't."

His website is an easy place to quickly learn some of his most famous ideas, including:

"Whether you prevail or fail depends more on what you to do to yourself than on what the world does to you."

Powering Up. In the world of video games, what you do
to yourself can be defined as "powering up." In a game, you're likely to
face monsters, villains, rabbits eating your valuable carrot crop, or
any other assortment of challenges. Great gamers know they have to
sometimes slow down on a level to gather strength from charms, gain
points to be banked for difficult levels, or get help/extra lives from
available resources, including fellow gamers.

In the job hunt world, the same principles apply. You have to know when
to rest, when to exercise, how to stay sober and calm, and when to ask
for help. No successful job hunt is done totally alone, hence the emphasis many place on networking, job coaches, and job clubs.

Relieving stress. I became addicted to the infamous
Candy Crush Saga when I was employed, not unemployed. It was a time when
I was horribly stressed and needed to quiet my mind from the daily
grind at work. A wiser person may have learned to meditate. I learned to
play Candy Crush.

Looking for a job is considered one of the top five stress inducers in life. But when you're stressed, it's hard to have a great interview,
write powerful cover letters, or put hiring managers at ease that
you're a great team player. One of the most important skills to master
in a job hunt is the ability to calm down, including how to assume the Wonder Woman pose, advocated by Harvard scientist Amy Cuddy, just before a job interview. It works. I've tried it.

Earning the prize. In Super Mario Bros, the small and
unlikely heroes need to climb mountains, jump gaps, and persevere
through untold challenges in order to save the princess. In a job hunt,
the prize is a job, not a princess. But like the brothers, you will have
to jump some amazing hurdles to reach your mountaintop. Success is a
combination of believing it's possible, being patient, repeatedly
working your way over barriers, being courageous, and constantly moving
forward.

No one would argue that a job hunt is a game. It's a serious endeavor to
secure a sustainable livelihood. But if you can find the wherewithal to
approach your job hunt much as you would a game, you might just enjoy
the entire process a little bit more. At the very least, you may learn
some valuable lessons about social science, game theory, and gameplay
that will serve you well not only in the job hunt, but in your next job,
where epic wins really are the basis of being a valued star employee
over the long haul.

Which countries have the longest workweek?

The Associated Press

TOKYO (AP) - Work rules vary in generosity from nation to nation.
Japan's rules aren't tough but its situation is almost unique. Workers
don't take off the days they are entitled to because of a mindset that
beatifies long hours.

PAID VACATION DAYS A YEAR

Japan: As many as 20 days, but workers tend not to take them off.

US: None stipulated by overall law and depends on the job contract.

Great Britain: As many as 28 days, on average 20 days.

France: As many as 30 days, on average 25 days.

Germany: 24 days or more for those on jobs for more than six months, on average 20 days.

South Korea: As many as 25 days.

___

AVERAGE WORK HOURS A YEAR

South Korea: 2,163

US: 1,788

Japan: 1,735

Great Britain: 1,669

France: 1,489

Germany: 1,388

___

WORKERS CLOCKING MORE THAN 49 HOURS A WEEK

South Korea: 35.4 percent.

Japan: 21.7 percent.

US: 16.4 percent.

Great Britain: 12.3 percent.

France: 10.8 percent.

Germany: 10.5 percent.

___

REGULATING REST

Europe: For every 24 hours of work, entitled to at least 11 straight hours off work.

This year, stop phoning in your professional life

Don't let another year go by without accomplishing at least one of your New Year's resolutions. Happify created a fun scientific Infographic
to help you navigate the best ways to stick to your goals. Here are my
top five ways career resolutions you can make (and keep) this year.Set a physical goal. And then tie it to a career
goal. I know this sounds weird in the context of your career, but one
the best ways of accomplishing career success is to attach it to the
confidence and endorphins that come with your first 5K. Match your first
public speech with the completion of three CrossFit classes.Learn a completely new skill. The complaint I hear
all the time regarding career isn't you're underpaid, overworked,
unappreciated...it's that you're bored. Take on more projects, take
risks and challenge yourself. If you've been phoning it in for years, your resolution should be to find ways to make your job more challenging, not less.Restart a conversation. Of course you want to make
new contacts, but one of the most overlooked ways of reviving your
career is reconnecting with the people you know, but on a closer level.
We tend not to take full advantage of the connections we have. Use
LinkedIn to dig a little deeper and get to know your professional peers a
little better.A picture is worth a thousand words. Your online
professional photo is one of the best ways to capture your identity
within your professional setting. A few rules, though: No dogs unless
you're a vet, no wedding dress except if you're a designer, no kids
unless you are a pediatrician... The goal is to have your contacts see
you in the context of your professional identify. And remember: Your
LinkedIn profile is 14 times more likely to be viewed if you include a
photo.

Time for a makeover. It takes a few seconds to make a
first impression. Don't let your attire distract from your great work.
Step one: Weed through your closet. You know those scuffed pumps, boxy
blazers and the sweater that sheds to no end? Time to toss. Enlist a
savvy and stylish friend to take you shopping. Don't end the day before
buying at least five pieces that will help you stand out at the office.
Think of this new wardrobe as an investment in your professional brand.

How to maximize social media and mobile to find work

As the editor of the Work & Purpose channel for Next Avenue, I'd be the first to acknowledge that getting hired after age 50 isn't easy.

But after combing through the new 2015 Job Seeker Nation Study
from Jobvite, a recruiting platform, and speaking with Jobvite's CEO
Dan Finnigan about it, I'm convinced that many job hunters over 50 are
making three big mistakes. Correcting these could make them stronger
candidates and, in some cases, winning candidates.

Before I go into each, it's worth noting that Jobvite's report on its
online survey of 2,084 adults says that the biggest news this year is
that the "recovering economy has placed job seekers in the driver's
seat."

Easier to Find Work Now

Says Finnigan: "The labor market is very hot right now. People are
looking for their next move and we see it across all age groups." The
reason: Fewer people surveyed said it was difficult to find a job in
2014 compared to 2013.

But older people looking for work need to realize that "a new job isn't
going to fall into your lap," says Finnigan. "You've got to change the
way you look for a job."

The 3 Big Mistakes of Older Job Seekers

Here are three mistakes job hunters in their 50s and 60s are making and how they can fix them to improve their chances:

1. They're not using social media and mobile job apps enough to find out about jobs and to apply for them. When
Jobvite asked: "Which of the following resources did you use that
directly led to finding your current/most recent job," only 3 percent of
those 55 and older and 5 percent of those age 40 to 54 said "social
network." By contrast, 19 percent of respondents 18 to 29 did.

"The social network numbers for older workers don't make sense today,
when you consider that 73 percent of recruiters hire through social
networks and 93 percent say they view applicants' social profile before
making a decision," says Finnigan.

The mobile story was similar. Just 4 percent of Jobvite's respondents 55
and older and 5 percent of those 40 to 54 said they used a mobile
career site to find their current or most recent job. But 13 percent of
people 18 to 29 did. (One of my favorite stats from the survey: 18
percent of job hunters who use their smartphones to look for work have
done so in the restroom.)

"In today's job market, the early bird gets the worm. If someone finds
out about a job walking down the hallway looking at their phone or while
in a restaurant, they're seeing it before the older job seeker who's
used to doing it at night on their laptop or - God forbid - through the
newspaper classifieds on the weekend," says Finnigan.

2. They're not getting the most out of Facebook to find jobs. Just
10 percent of survey respondents age 40 to 54 said they use Facebook to
find connections and network. But, Finnigan says, you should use
Facebook much the way you use LinkedIn (you do use LinkedIn, right?).

"Too many older job seekers use Facebook just as a photo-sharing tool -
to see what their kids or grandkids are doing, but not as a utility to
research and find job resources," says Finnigan. "If you're inclined to
start a job search by asking people you know, you're more likely to find
them on Facebook than on LinkedIn."

He advises job seekers to modify their Facebook profile to include
information about their work and career expertise. "So many people don't
fill out their professional profile there," says Finnigan. "If you do,
you're more likely to have that information show up in a search engine."
(Be sure to adjust your Facebook privacy settings so your professional
information is findable by search engines.)

Also, Finnigan says, do a search on Facebook not just with the name of
an employer where you'd like to work but that employer's name plus
"people who work at ________" (that employer). Then, you'll find people
in your Facebook network who work there or are connected to people who
work there and you can contact them about job possibilities.

3. They're not using Twitter wisely for their job search because they're too introverted there. "Twitter is where extroverts thrive," says Finnigan, because every tweet you send is findable by anyone.

Introverts tend to use Twitter just to read what others are posting and
to follow Twitter feeds of companies. It's fine to use Twitter partly to
gather information this way (just remember to look for Twitter handles
not just with the company's name but also with the word "jobs" at the
end, such as @StarbucksJobs, since that's where some firms put their
employment info).

But you'll get the most out of Twitter when job searching by tweeting
out news and articles to the Twitterverse. That way, prospective
employers and hiring managers will see that you're keeping current and
have impressive social media skills.

"Share content you find interesting and you think would interest people
you want to work with," says Finnigan. "Then, people will reach out to
you and recruiters and companies will find you."

Know your rights about vaccines, ill colleagues, and more

NEW YORK (AP) -- A boss who's worried about an outbreak of measles in the workplace needs to tread lightly.

Reports of a growing number of measles cases have employers wondering
what they should be doing. But federal and state laws can limit their
ability to require workers to be vaccinated. And it may be risky to even
ask staffers whether they've gotten a measles or other type of
vaccination.

News about a measles case in the New York City area has clients calling
human resources provider Alcott HR Group seeking advice, says Bob
Byrnes, director of risk management with the New York-based company.

"They're asking, what can they do? Can they go up and ask people if they're vaccinated, or if their children are," Byrnes says.

Some questions and answers about measles and the workplace:

Q. Can an employer require workers to be vaccinated against measles, or any other disease?

A. Legally, an employer can tell workers they must be vaccinated, but
doing so puts them at risk for lawsuits under federal and state laws
designed to shield workers from discrimination and protect their
privacy.

Workers might bring lawsuits under the Americans with Disabilities Act,
or ADA, which prohibits discrimination on medical grounds in the
workplace. If they have religious beliefs that forbid their being
vaccinated, they can also sue employers for discrimination under the
Civil Rights Act of 1964.

"Employers should weigh the risks of mandating vaccinations or even
asking about them before proceeding," says Audrey Mross, an employment
law attorney with Munck Wilson Mandala in Dallas.

Q. What about people who work in health care or who handle food? Can they be forced to be vaccinated?

A. Employers in these industries may have more legal leeway in telling
workers they need to be vaccinated. But even those workers cannot be
forced to have vaccinations. There have been lawsuits against hospitals
that tried to mandate vaccinations, and the health care facilities
backed away from the requirement, Mross says.

If health care workers refuse to be vaccinated, they're likely to be
assigned to work that doesn't involve contact with patients, Alcott HR
Group's Byrnes says.

Some states have mandated that health care workers be vaccinated for
diseases like the flu. There have been court and legislative challenges
to some of the requirements, and some states have exemptions that allow
health care workers to decline vaccinations on medical or religious
grounds, or because they are philosophically opposed to vaccinations.

Q. Why is it a problem to ask workers if they or their children have been vaccinated?

A. Laws including the ADA, the Health Insurance Portability and
Accountability Act, or HIPAA, and the Genetic Information
Nondiscrimination Act, or GINA, are designed to protect workers'
privacy. Protection under federal law extends to a worker's family.

Q. What if employees suspect that a co-worker has measles and ask the boss about their health? What should an employer do?

A. If an employer is aware of a staffer's illness, the boss cannot
discuss the worker's health with other employees, Byrnes says. Even if a
staffer has gone public about an illness, an employer is still bound by
the ADA and HIPAA not to reveal any information about it.

What employers can and should do is educate staffers about how to
prevent the spread of disease. And they can encourage workers to stay
home if they don't feel well for any reason, whether or not measles is
suspected.

Q. What if workers say they're not vaccinated, and have been
exposed to someone with measles? Can an employer tell them to stay home?

A. Yes, but they should be placed on paid leave. That's what Walt Disney
Parks and Resorts did after several workers at its California theme
parks were infected with measles. (Disney CEO Bob Iger said Tuesday that
the measles outbreak is having no discernible impact on attendance at
the company's parks and resorts).

"A paid leave of absence is the best and most conservative option right
now," says Brooke Iley, an employment law attorney with Blank Rome in
Washington, D.C.

Business owner Ariel Ozick has asked his staff to stay home for five
days if they're not vaccinated against measles and have been traveling.

"Once you're flying through all the main hubs, you're going to get that
exposure," says Ozick, owner of ArrestRecords.com, a background search
company in Jackson, Wyoming.

Q. Suppose someone at work has measles and the employer doesn't
disclose to other staffers that one of their colleagues is ill. Could
the other employees, if they become ill, sue the employer?

A. Employers are on safest ground if they put their obligations under laws like the ADA and HIPAA first, attorneys say.

It's highly doubtful that an employer who complied with
anti-discrimination and privacy laws would be found responsible for
other staffers' illnesses, says Veena Iyer, an employment law attorney
with Nilan Johnson Lewis in Minneapolis.

Employers are required to provide a safe workplace that's free from
recognized hazards likely to cause death or physical harm, attorney
Mross says. But a case of the measles likely won't fall into that
category, she says.

Employers can also be protected by the fact that measles tends to start
with a runny nose; many people are at work with runny noses from colds
and allergies, so an employer wouldn't necessarily know that someone at
work had been infected.

"An employer cannot reasonably be expected to police a workforce at this level," attorney Iley says.

4 reasons you shouldn't slam your former employee in print

I am a supervisor in a small company, and we hired a new employee
that lied about his address, social security number, references, and
overall job history. We eventually called the police to surveil him
after hours and we found out he was stealing products, materials, and
client info.

He is currently awaiting trial.

We have since put a new ad out to replace his position and the idiot
applied to it. He falsified his references and everything in his reply
to it is a bold faced lie. We would like other companies to know about
him to not hire him.

Can we legally put an ad on Craigslist detailing how he is a thief and
should never be trusted? (Using his name and his whole ruse). We have
proof of everything, and want to protect other small businesses. We are
in Illinois.

Wow. What a question. I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried. The
answer, of course, is yes you can put an ad on Craigslist denouncing a
former employee. Since Craigslist lets you pay the fee and design the ad
so it goes up automatically, nothing would stop you. The question,
then, is should you? Are there any legal problems you will encounter if
you do?

Here are 4 legal problems I see with your proposal to slam your former employee:

1. Terms of use: The first problem I see is that this
might violate Craigslist's own terms of use which prohibit, "offensive,
obscene, defamatory, threatening, or malicious postings or email." If
Craigslist decided that your post was malicious or offensive, even if it
wasn't technically defamatory, then they could take it down or even ban
you from future postings.

2. Defamation: Defamation is where you post a false
statement of fact. If you can prove that everything you say is true,
then that should be a defense to a defamation claim. However, you could
still find yourself facing a defamation suit that could cost you tens of
thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of dollars to defend. If you
win and get a judgment against him to pay your fees and costs, can he
pay? Not likely. So you eat your fees and costs and get sucked into a
lengthy and probably nasty legal proceeding.

3. Intrusion on seclusion: Even if you are telling the
truth, Illinois and many other states recognize a claim for invasion of
privacy if you intrude on the seclusion of another. The elements of this
claim are: (1) an unauthorized intrusion or prying into the former
employee's seclusion; (2) the intrusion is highly offensive or
objectionable to a reasonable person; (3) you reveal a private matter;
(4) you caused anguish and suffering. Would this publication illegally
intrude on his seclusion? Is a pending criminal case private? Maybe not.
But again, you have to decide if it's worth the hassle.

4. Public disclosure of private facts: Illinois
recognizes another kind of invasion of privacy if you publicly disclose
private facts about the former employee. The elements of that claim are:
(1) private facts were publicly disclosed; (2) the facts were private
and not public facts; and (3) the facts disclosed would be highly
offensive to a reasonable person. If anything you disclose is not in the
public record of his criminal cases, then you might cross the line
here.

These are just some of the potential downsides I see to this course of
action. I'd love to hear from other employment lawyers who can think of
more reasons why this plan is a bad idea. Post your thoughts in the
comments section.

Bottom line is that you get nothing but the satisfaction of revenge
against an employee who irked you, and have plenty of risk. If I were
your management-side lawyer, I would advise against it. Although some
employee-side employment lawyer in Illinois will probably rub their
hands together with glee if you actually do it.

In general, employers who take revenge on former employees are just asking for trouble.

Use the advantages that you have and emphasize the benefits you can provide an employer.

If you're over 50 and looking for a job, it's too easy to assume that
companies all prefer younger people. That's a mistake. You have
strengths, experiences, and qualities that many employers want. The
trick is to remember what you can offer
and to put it front and center, according to a recent survey of 1,913
human resources professionals by the Society for Human Resource
Management and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

As SHRM noted in another analysis, mature workers "have experience and skills honed during decades of employment" that offer significant benefits to employers.
They will also be increasingly necessary to companies. Mature workers
come from a demographically large generation and the "population of
younger workers with the education and skills to replace Baby Boomers is
not large enough -- or growing fast enough -- to make up for the older
generation's departure."

The percentage of workers who are 55 or older is projected to grow by 29
percent from 2012 to 2022, while the percentage from 25 to 55 will
likely expand by only 2 percent. "There will not be enough younger
workers for all the positions an organization needs to fill,
particularly those requiring advanced manufacturing skills or advanced
education in science, technology, engineering and math," says SHRM.

All that is good news for the older job seeker, but to seal the deal,
you need to remind potential employers of the top benefits they're
likely to appreciate in hiring someone who is mature. Here are the top
qualities you should demonstrate and communicate, based on the top five
advantages employers perceive older workers having:

Show your business knowledge and skills, which 77 percent of those
polled cited. That means polishing your resume and personal presentation
to show what you have.

Seventy-one percent said that older workers are more mature and
professional. Keep your job hunt and interviewing approach appropriate.

A strong work ethic is important, according to 70 percent.

You're not just there to perform a job but to be a mentor to
younger workers, said 63 percent of respondents. Note your willingness
to work with younger employees.

Fifty-nine percent of HR professionals thought that older workers
were more reliable. Be sure to reinforce this notion at every step.

Proofread everything you send, as 45 percent of HR pros said that
older workers showed better written English than younger people.

Be ready to demonstrate your critical thinking and self-direction,
mentioned by 28 percent and 23 percent of respondents, respectively.

Many companies have yet to understand the importance of hiring older
workers, but by communicating through speech, writing, action, and
examples the benefits you offer, you should find employers who will
respond positively.